Adjustable shaft bearing



Aug. 10, 1943. G. WALTER 2,326,268

I I ADJUSTABLE SHAFT BEARING Filed March 25, 1945 @M MWI Patented A x 1 rihe present Vinventi'r-)n relates' to improvements in adjustable shaf-t"harings,;.andmere particu"- vlarljz to a shaft bearing 'for service'particularly in connection wtih the propeller shaft of a boat,

more specicallyfon theaontsidefof the lin-1 1 inf connection with is Isn-own as* the strut" :nection with such abearing, thev adjusting f eature being employedto take v'upfslackV cause'dlby :the rotation of the shaitgand thelckingieature being to lock the-partsduring the use ofzthe Vbearing to the end .that the acliusting'clevice will notraccidentallyfback awayY irorn its tightened ora'djusted L'Josition,A l f Y The invention has for a sti1l fur ther elo-jectv to provide a bearing'sleeve in acertain relatione.. 'ship'to' the cylindrical bearing` of a boat'- hull strut in which the sleeve accommodates hetero# "geneous Vpack-ingV andfheari-ng Yrings in Contact with the rotatingShaftV andoheld tightly in place calusedby rotation of the collanl is to fclose this vfend y'ofthe:nackin by'alpacking gland v-fscrew threaded to vparts-ei Y the sleeve which lie withinffand -withoutf the confines of the strut xbearir'ig 'su'ppnrt in' corn- Ybination witlfiaJV loci: nut `which isfalsothreaded upon the threadsof the packing gland nut and n heisa conical or taperedportion for cocperating 'constrictingthe sleeve about the abnormally long Y shank ofthe packingfgland nut; thereby holding` the'saine'againstrotatinnH with the foregoing and 'Qth'erojeet's in view', o

pressure all :along .the f-li-neV progressively-iup Athe inventionwill bemore' 'fnllj described hereinaftenlandwill be more partictilarlypointed out inthe claims appendedhereto'. Y Y In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer Yto like or corresponding parts throughoutzthe sev-i eral views,

Figure lis a leng-itudinal'section takenthrongh an Aimproved adjustableshaft v bearing gonol structed inacc'erdance with-the present invenr'vr tion. v c

VVFigure 2 is aY vertical transverse secticn taken onthe line 2-f-2-n ligurel.` l

,Y Figure 3 is asimilar viewtaken on the shank ISzis constructed and arrangedand'shaped v its' entire 'lengitnisl providedjwith' external :screw Y threads2ii which matewith. complementalinf- 1 locking device' theF 1colt- 1 rmt 'tapered and-slottedsleev end "Referring rnorepaiticularly 'to vtHeY-dra g; gli) designates'the external'rear hullstrut.usualio ly found `on #boats h Ning-i Lbe'airing-Lsupport: or f f rical-iorn-througfhwhich the@ f @mi the fined 1 .by the `sleeve i-3. c n 'fend a bearing end nellar 1 audits vlong shaft fig fare :smoothbored in .lESSj curatelylfitthesame.; Theifner end ofifhe long` toH engage the,v proximate packing ri ng a'ndff Ythrough suchjipaoking ring, to exertran'gazigiarl l Q allY f the subseqnentgpackingrings,,urging sanfiegto Y ternalv ythreads nponriwhatqmay- .be described as packing rings .IBfan `are metallic so called Vfoilite rings.- y Y A lock nut 2| hasinternal screw threads 22" over jaV portion onlyiof its'axial length tomate packing glandnult i3.

flong shank It. c .I ,Y y,

l Thefcorn'cal or tapered projecting end Aportion j 0f` the sleeve I3' is'slottedf, as'findicated at.25 AArsfindicated in Figure 2'four such slotsmay with out radially as determined` by o frthe lo'ck nut 2|. Duringthe use ofithevboat Vfthe long continued Vandhigh rotation of the'pro'- peller shaft '25, slack occurs in the packingvvhich n. time.

, .linen-metallic, preferably flax; While the rings I'I',V

with the externalscrew threads E onr the outer V ffportion ofV the long barrel or shank IS of `the The remaining'inner portion -ofithe lock Vnutlll is tapered 'orfrusto conical f With the truncated apexofthecone toward the threads y22 and thefbase of thecone toward they Strut. yfrisstaperitiefportion 2a:` is asma-sh cone metallic kbearing rings IIV having superior hardness and less compressibility :than the flax packing ring I6', the bearing rings Il.' will act in the I' capacity of` plungers or pistons to expand the flax packingrings. The ringsof'diiferential material may alternate in the packing box, but preferably two or three of the flax or non-metallic 4rings I6 are placed together and separated by a single metallic ring. This combination seals the j lat Ythe threaded or open end of the sleeve I3V progress from the outermost end of the sleeve to a'peintinwardly which is spaced Well Within the shaft from foreign matterfandprevents scoring .Of .the Shaft. Y"

n will be notedV that' the -iteinai 'threads 2a strut bearing;V Inoth'er words substantial axial This relative axial motion is derived from-the relative'` rotation of advantage be'providedfdviding the projecting tapered end of lthe sleeve I3 inlto quadrantswhichl may individually-and independently 4move in and Aenables Apebbles and other foreign matter'to-gain access t-o thebearing with resulting scoring .or

` c cutting ofthe shaft 2E. Also .the shaft loses itsl Y tight bearing support andmay be inclined-.to

f lwobble.

Vslackness of the bearingipacking. To remedy- Other 'disadvantages Inultiply.-V with this' situation the V.packing gland .nut I8 i'rnay 4loe sion to crowd both thefsleeve'IS and theshaft. .In other Words `the packing ring I6 and bearing rings VIlare compressedbetween the end thrust collar I4 and theishankof the vpacking gland'nut. YThis tightening may? take VplaceV from.:time to AitereachV tightening adjustment the lock `nut 2| .is rotated'on the long shank I9 in aj direc- 'tieniy to cause the lockl nut .to progress axially along the 'conical-end 24 of the-sleeve. I With the tvvofcoie surfaces'23 and24 riding togethergthe .unsupportedoutwardly'projecting slotted. endof the `sleeve I 3; which nhas been alsoweakened by the taper 2li', will be driven. in or Icompressed lagainst the external part of the shank I9 to'bind distaiices'olzones at the open end of' sleeve I3 participatein the continuous threads 29. -In

thisvvayl the protection, reinforcement and back- .ingV given'` the sleeve I3.by thevstrut bearing II Iare Yutilized to takeiup.` radial thrust of they packing nut gland developed through Ythegsleeve I3,

and theVV entire strut-confinedthreaded portion of the sleeve I3 reinforcesandstrengthensthe the' axial position Y and developing from t Y shank I9. c rotated with reference'lto. the sleeve I3 to: cause the .longshank I9k toprogress into thesleeve, forcing.'theheterogeneus packing ringsgbefore it :andll'individually `causing their radial' expanweaker outwardly-proje'cting portionoi the sleeve -Which is` weakened both bysl,otting and ,byprogressively diminishing thickness and mass aswell asby a; lack o f supportoffthe strut bearing which .must terminate short of jthe Vcone 24 'to enable the companion cone 23 toAfunction, in relation thereto. Thel slotsgZli may be ofcourse in any number.r v d Y Y B'y backingV off` the lock .nut lll-the elasticity inherent in the metallic sleeve I3 willvcause the segments between the slots 25 tovexpand radially outward away-from the long shank I 9 and enable thegland'nut IS to b'erotatedcfurther intothe sleeve constriction of Itispbvcus that variouscnanges and modi-- uflcatiens may bemade inthe details cf'construction'ancl-'design o'fgthe above specifically[de-V scribed embodiment; lof .this Iinvention ,Without :departing from the-spirit thereof, such changes `the-'sleeve and'thepacking gland nut against any Y ffurther relative rotation which `might result inv Y'the casual or' accidentalretrograde rotationv of the nut I8 partly or Whollyrotof thesleeve; I3.

`Thislocking arrangement is enhanced by reason f 5 .ofthe' fact that thetwo'faces'offthe compressed members are screw threaded atil. `r f x Theinventicnis alsogapplicable generally to machinery, shafts', particularly when operating Aunderfwet conditions orsubmerged in liquicls;

The packing andfbearingwrings .are lfeasy .to

andlmodirlcationszbeing restricted only .by the scope .of the. following claims.

`What is claimed is:

1.1m an f adjustable strut 'shaft bearing, J a

sleeve closed atjone and open wat its other end,

said'lop'en end having axially running angularly displaced slots extending .throughl the free end of the, sleeve,packing'material in the sleeve, a

packing gland movable onithe materialthroughvthe open "end of the sleeve,A and means-to com- V'press the slotted end o'f'thefsleeve on said gland.

*2. In anw adjustable @strut shaft bearing, "a sleeve 'having an internal .diameter 'greaterj than the external. diameter of the shaft to lprovide-a stuiiing box,' metallic bearingfringsiand' nonmetallic f parking '1 ringsz in said box "surrounding l the shaft, a thr'ust'col'lar closing Vone end of'said sleeve agaiiist'whieh the packing abuts, Athe other y i end of said sleeve beingjopen and ir..ternal`ly threaded, a vpacking glandrnu'tfhaving a smooth installand adjust. Theflexible packing'ringsil may be saturated With lubricant or 'an oil orboth y I and the :metallic,bearingvrings'are oil *impreganated to provide 'selifluloricatin'gbearings.V 'The bore rotatable and axially slidable Yon "the-*shaft .and khaving an abnormallyflong shank with external threads throughout substantially its entire length tting adjustably inthe open end of` said sleeve and having itsinner endconstructed and arrangedAV andj shaped to engage againstv the y packing; a lock nut having a portion threaded on the exposed Y part of. .the .packing nut shank.

lwith consequent adjustment and tiglfit-v `ening o fv the packingelernentsAter adjustnient'the lock nut 2AI is,- again rotated to 'cause the segments'` uponI the long ,2,326,268 said leek nutrand `adjacent open end'portion of g said sleeve having mating como; sections to cause the sleeve end to be constrcted on saidshank when the leek nut is advancedA on thai-,breads of the shank, l

, A bearing as claimed inV claim Y2, in which the sleeve is longer than thestrut bearing, means to `so conne the sleeve in thestrutbeaiing that Y a substantial length of the open e1d`o'f Vthe sleeve f pio'triides outwardly -beyond the connes *off *th- Vvstrut' bearing,sadprotruding sleeve :eind being v divided irfito independently movable segmetsb Slots extending through the conclsectijonofth. sleeve end, the' internal `threads 'of tzie sleeve progressing from the outer .extremity tl'iereoffto "e,` poiritsubstantially Within tlestrut bearing.'

' -YGULSTAVE WALTER 

